It is a weird feeling, dreams. It is as if my body knows it is resting on a bed in the care house but at the same time… I am somewhere else. Tall trees, thick foliage, tree houses. I am back. Sylvar’s past home. I look around to find out that all four of us are here. Sylvar, Meuko, Julie and I. We nod, recognizing each other. We are still unable to speak.

Sylvar’s family is sitting on the ground, taking in the sunlight and greenery of the place.

“Kezoc, not now.” El’Rtana says, Sylvar’s mother.

“What? I am hungry.” Kezoc says, stuffing bread down his throat.

Kezoc has long black hair, braided into a pattern that I cannot discern. He has clearly spent most of his life working out and getting big. Their clothing is all the same, mostly linen. I suppose that is how it works for our Village as well, sharing the findal.

“Father. You promised.” Dream Sylvar says.

“Fine.” Kezoc says, picking a bow “I will show this once.”

“In a way that I can comprehend?” Sylvar begs, imitating Kezoc’s arm movements.

“Sure. But… Your mother is a better shot than I am.” Kezoc says.

“Too tired.” El’Rtana says.

“Liar.” Kezoc responds.

Kezoc shows some sort of spell. This one is a bit different than the one Sylvar uses. Instead of making one stronger arrow, it fractures the shaft into three pieces after it flies off the bow. Kezoc basically just created three magical projectiles from one arrow. These do not fly straight. They change paths quickly, hitting different targets. One lands on the ground, the second hits the base of a tree and the final lands next to El’Rtana.

“Showing off?” El’Rtana says.

“Your turn.” Kezoc says, patting Sylvar on the shoulder.

The incantations they use are almost silent. The problem of the spell is that it is long. Really long. It looks like it trades time for strength.

Dream Sylvar shoots but the arrow never transforms. How old is he? I only now realize that he looks similar to how he is today. A few scars are missing and his face seems… Happier, but mostly the same. I look at our semi-transparent Sylvar who carries an expression of shock… And dread.

The loud cracks of thunder and splintering wood causes me… And I assume the rest of the “dream walkers” to block our ears. Heh… We got a name.

I would laugh, if not for the whole world shaking in and out of existence. What was once a bright day has now turned to darkness. I turn to what seemed like light only to realize that it is fire. Ever spreading fire, almost jumping from tree to tree as elves run around frantically. Sylvar’s house is on fire as well. The three past family members get their equipment ready, checking each other for wounds. Their house is assaulted by a large, bulbous monster with four arms. The monster rams the tree, violently shaking Sylvar’s home. The elvish family jumps out of the house, running on branches while shooting arrows without even talking to each other. They know each other’s position, how they move, how they think. Their coordination is on another level. The monster keeps hitting the same tree, shattering its base and toppling it to the ground.

Gravity works different for us. We move without being disturbed by rules that normally apply. We do our best to follow Sylvar’s past self but even with all our newfound movement… They are still quicker. To be fair, just because we can walk through trees does not mean we can follow Sylvar’s movements on these ever winding branches. We lose sight of them, our attention being drawn to the rest of the once serene place we saw. Fire, screams, ruin. An army of monsters has attacked the surrounding area, killing elves, impaling them and cutting them apart. Is that what the rest of the Abominations look like? Sylvar did say that they are a combination of creatures, turned into something else. One man is running with a cart, only to be pounced by a Blight Dog. All this screaming. Elvish archers try to support the warriors from the safety of branches but they are suppressed by projectiles. Chitinous monsters with tails full of spikes flail them around, sending those same spikes flying towards the elves. Elves use their shields to push back the Abominations, cutting down a few of them. These warriors appear to use magic the same way Meuko does, enhancing their capabilities. The bodies of elves fill the dirt roads, painting the ground red. Abominations attack the newly formed group of fighters as it tries to hold back the forces long enough for non-fighters to get to safety. Monsters appear from all directions, sending elves flying with unrelenting violence. We try to move away from the fighting but there is no end to this. There are struggles happening all across this thick forest. Flames can be seen all around us. A group of kids does its best hiding underneath the broken cart of the man that was ripped open by a Blight Dog. A bony creature with a creepy mouth full of sharp teeth raises the cart. Before the children even react, one of them gets stabbed through the heart. The children scream in terror as the lifeless body of what I assume was their friend is being raised up in the air and then split in two by the bony claws of the nightmarish monster that hunts them. These are entities that not only have I never seen before… I would not even know how their physiology is supposed to work. Meuko jumps between the kids and the monster that now roars in a very dry manner with weird clicking sounds. The children themselves seem paralyzed. Fear will do that. We move towards Meuko as the monster makes a thrusting attack with its claws. All four of us forgot that we do not exist in this place. The monster’s arm goes through Meuko without resistance, stabbing another child and bringing it closer to feed. A single green projectile hits the monster from above before it manages to close its frankly disgusting jaw. We look upwards and witness the only familiar elvish trio covering the kids from the branches. El’Rtana lunges towards the monster, smashing one of its arms with what appears to be her mace. The impaled kid drops on the ground but it is too late…

Dream Sylvar jumps down and tries to move the four remaining kids to safety. The same fear keeps them immobile. A growling Abomination moves towards Sylvar only to be intercepted by Kezoc. This Abomination uses the weapons that the elvish warriors carried. One hand holds a spear while the other carries a hammer. It is not large by any means. Maybe a bit taller than Meuko. We, meaning the four Villagers, distance ourselves since there is nothing that we can do but watch. So… We should do that properly. The monster Kezoc is fighting has red and blue saggy skin and fleshy spikes appear to be on its back. Kezoc takes out two small axes, probably light enough to be wielded with ease. The monster… Elongates its spikes, making me realize that they are in fact like tendrils. How could one person fight against thi-

Kezoc is fast. Extremely fast. He uses his axes to attack with one while simultaneously defend himself with the other. One pushes a weapon or a tendril away and the other stays between Kezoc and the monster’s attacks. I can barely keep up with the fight itself. Kezoc’s footwork… With every attack he makes, he twists his body to make sure all the weight he has supports his efforts. He breaks the spear. So many attacks, so fast… My techniques with the knives pale in comparison. A few moments later he cuts a tendril. He is trying to disarm this thing. Clever. It cannot actually attack all at once since it risks entanglement. This exchange, this flurry of blows, the sight of sparks flying off, the sounds that create a cacophony of clashing metal and hardened skin. I have never seen a fighting style like this. As soon as a tendril enters Kezoc’s range, he deflects it. The axes start glowing with some sort of black energy. Kezoc jumps backwards, evading attacks with side flips. As soon as he gains some distance, the monster extends the tendrils even more, sending all of them against him. I guess it is angry. Three magical projectiles pierce the fleshy tendrils that target Kezoc, rendering the monster’s attack useless. El’Rtana is holding her bow, standing on top of the bony monster she was facing a minute ago. I completely forgot about her, being too focused on Kezoc and all that. She used the same spell from earlier with deadly precision and speed. I guess she is the better shot. Sylvar’s father gathers more energy around his axes and then makes a ranged magical attack with them. He slashes with both of them… Through thin air, yet there are somehow two small waves of black energy that cut through the monster’s body, killing it. I should learn that spell.

Their coordination… The resolve in every action they take. This is the difference between seasoned warriors and… Well, me. I have to get better. So that I can save anyone that needs it. I have to.

My thoughts are disrupted by the collective screams around us. The battle has quickly turned against the elves. Not that they had any advantage to begin with. The shield line of warriors is now dispersed. Every fighter has their hands full covering themselves.

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“Take the kids to safety. We will support you.” Kezoc says.

Sylvar urges the kids away from the fight, even carrying one that is unable to walk. A Blight Dog lunges at El’Rtana. An axe thrown by Kezoc interrupts the Dog, allowing Sylvar’s mother to finish it off with her mace, crushing both heads. A worm like creature the size of a tree breaks out from under the ground next to Sylvar, shredding two kids with its circular jaw instantly. El’Rtana uses Kezoc’s axe that is stuck inside the Dog to hit the worm Abomination. It goes back underground. Kezoc runs towards his son, only to be impaled on a tree by multiple spikes. Another large, chitinous Abomination with ranged attacks has appeared.

“Kezoc.” El’Rtana screams.

“Run.” Kezoc shouts with all his might “Run.” He starts chanting words, gathering magical energy around him. Abominations surround this area, finishing off elves one by one. This is not a fight they can win. They can only run.

“I love you.” El’Rtana says, running towards her son.

“Cry out, my body. Show my resolve.” Kezoc moves his hand, the only one of his extremities that is not pinned down.

El’Rtana picks the last kid up, running next to Dream Sylvar who is left in shock since his father’s impalement. Dark tentacles lash out of Kezoc’s location, binding nearby Abominations. We are running next to Dream Sylvar and his mother, looking back at Kezoc’s final act. What was it that Alayne called it? Flare out. It must be the sudden discharge of all your magic. Kezoc’s magic spreads, tentacles squashing Abominations and shattering trees. A dark field expands, causing damage to everything it touches. The field causes the air around to be sucked towards the center, shrinking in the process. Then… The darkness suddenly bursts. An explosion.

Shadow consumes all.

Dust and debris fill the area. Luckily, El’Rtana and her son manage to take cover in some undergrowth. The kids are safe. The two that remain, at least.

“Father...” Dream Sylvar cries.

“No time.” El’Rtana shakes her son “We need to run.”

The dream we are seeing now starts fracturing again, parts of it rending apart violently. It feels as if we skipped ahead again, both in time and place. El’Rtana and her son running, each one carrying a kid. The fires are far away now but we can still hear the battle sounds… Shrieks, screams, cracking wood and flames spreading. Now that I have a moment to mentally collect myself, I can notice more details about the people next to us. El’Rtana is wounded in one arm, blackened by some sort of poison. Her armor is torn up, metal rings cracked and shattered in multiple places. Dream Sylvar is doing his best to hold back his tears but a few escape his efforts. The kids are silent, their vocal chords probably injured from all the previous screaming. All elvish kids seem to lack hair and wear the simplest linen clothes.

“Rest here. We run again in a few minutes.” El’Rtana says.

“Yes.” Dream Sylvar says.

The kids crawl together in a terrified and weak ball, giving each other comfort, whimpering and crying as silently as possible. I give a look at our Sylvar, the one who has already seen all this. I see a cold expression, reminiscent of the one he had when he slaughtered goblins atop the entrance we sealed with rocks. That broken elf that tried desperately to keep Meuko and me safe. If I had to guess, seeing the death of your father again… Probably not a happy subject.

“Why?” Dream Sylvar asks out of nowhere.

“Would you render his sacrifice worthless? There was no helping his state. We make the best with what we have.” El’Rtana says “That is how we honor your Father’s efforts.”

Sylvar’s mother talks as if she knows exactly what her son was thinking when he posed that question. Her son’s pensive look and lack of response confirms it. A dry branch some distance away snaps.

“There-”

A monster’s lunge interrupts El’Rtana, biting her arm and a part of the tree. It has an oversized jaw and barbed teeth but the naked body of a seemingly weak human. It seems to have four legs but the two front are smaller as if they have not fully developed. The monster cries out in some sort of… Excitement. El’Rtana screams, blood covering her face, but she somehow manages to throw her mace towards her son. Dream Sylvar grabs it and hits the fleshy, distorted human like Abomination with all his strength. The monster keeps making weird noises, almost reacting to the attack with desire. Its eyes are missing. Was it tracking them all this time? Dream Sylvar accidentally shoved the creature closer to the kids, caring only about saving his mother in that instance. The Abomination bends in an impossible and absolutely creepy manner, nearly folding itself on its back.

“No.” El’Rtana says.

It is futile. The Abomination lunges towards the kids, snapping one away and eating it in a series of bites, blood showering the last kid. El’Rtana grabs her mace back and breaks one of the stronger legs of this monster, snapping the lower part away from the rest of its body. She has lost one of her arms, wielding the mace with her poisoned one. Sylvar lunges at the monster, using his sword to impale this thing on the ground. El’Rtana shouts, putting all of her strength into spinning her body and mace on the monster’s throat. While it is enlarged, it is not as strong as the large mouth that it carries. El’Rtana completely smashes this Abomination in two different parts, body separated from head.

“Mother.” Dream Sylvar says.

“My mistake. I should have made sure we were safe.” El’Rtana says with a shaky and weak breath.

“Just stay still. I will bandage you.” Dream Sylvar says.

“No.” El’Rtana pushes her son away “I cannot Flare out like your father, since I have this… Substance coursing my veins. I can still fight for a few lucid moments. Take the kid and run.”

“How could I leave you? Do not ask this of me.”

“Be… Be strong. Not like your father or me. Be you. Be Sylvar. I love you.”

“No. Cease this final goodbye. We have to move.”

“I am already gone. Let me do this. For you.”

They embrace in tears.

“I will not waste this. I will honor you… Both.”

“Never lose that flame. Treasure it.”

“I love you.”

“Go, my son.”

Dream Sylvar dashes towards the kid, picking up the sole survivor of the group and running with everything he has. As he runs, every step causes the dream itself to fracture. The further away Dream Sylvar runs, the more he cries. The difference is that his look is not shocked but determined. The dream eventually shatters completely.

I rise up, finding myself panting next to Meuko and Julie. The care house beds. My parents looking at us in fear of our collective shaking. Sylvar is crying, holding his cover up to his eyes, probably to avoid our eyes.

“What is- Are you alright?” Ean says.

“Someone explain.” Dariy says.

We do not answer. We simply get up, move closer to Sylvar.

“Stop.” Sylvar says.

We embrace him. All four of us stay like this. A minute passes. Another. Sylvar cries the whole time. We do not move. Proximity is all we can offer him. And I do not intend to leave him alone after what I saw. All that slaughter, all those deaths… The destruction. The relentless attack against life itself. Even my parents decide that it is best they stay silent.

“Thank you. Now step away, I am suffocating.” Sylvar says, muffling under the collective weight of his friends.

“Right, then. I suppose you do not know what is happening outside?” Ean says.

My parents look ready to go.

“Is it morning?” I ask.

“Judging by the sunlight...” Meuko mocks.

“Kianel’s body is already covered. The Remembrance seems to be the repair of the Village itself. So… Figure out a way to control this, please. Before everyone panics.” Ean points at Sylvie.

“What even happened over there?” Dariy asks. I think he is referring to the Varuna expedition.

“Also- WHAT IS THAT EYE?” Ean shouts.

“Right… That.” I say.

“We wanted to ask all this time. A bit calmer, perhaps.” Dariy says.

“No, I think this is the right way of asking.” Ean responds.

“There was a giant tree sucking magic. I touched it- well, fell on it. I talked to a weird voice, it gave me a gift. My eye. Great? Let us go.”

“Not great. At all. I know that we never discussed this since we know everyone around here… But, generally speaking, we do not just accept things from strangers.” Dariy says.

“It worked.” Meuko says.

“That is not the point.” Julie says.

“Can you try to come back with no extreme changes? You know, no missing limbs, No gaining limbs...” Ean says.

“No promises.” I say.

“This kid.” Dariy scoffs.

“Anyway, we should talk.” Julie says.

“Why?” I ask.

“Your… Book. Remember?” Julie says.

It feels like she is hiding something.

“Need some alone time? We should go anyways.” Dariy says.

“No. We are gonna help- Ouch.” I am interrupted by Meuko’s punch.

“Your son, as a total idiot… Forgot that we need to look at his monster notes.” Meuko says.

“When did we-”

“We will join you shortly. As soon as we remind Volter that he is not always a clueless kid.” Sylvar says. He seems more composed since that last interaction.

“Alright.” Ean says, walking out of the care house with Dariy.

“Why is everyone insulting me all of a sudden?” I say.

“I was talking about the books I read.” Julie says.

That is right… The books. The whole expedition was an excuse to get Alayne away from his house.

“I am a total idiot.” I say.

“Do not forget a clueless kid.” Meuko says.

“So? What did you find, Julielle?” Sylvar asks.

“This is going to take some time.” Julie says “It is… A lot.”

“Tonight? After we help rebuild?” I ask.

“Sure. Tonight.” Julie says.

“Let us hope we can convince them of Sylvie’s innocence.” Sylvar says.

“Look at her, she has been quiet all this time and she barely made a mess here. Just pissed in the corner. Kids will love her.” I say.

We walk outside the care house, ready for anything. To be honest, I have no idea what the ruin could look like but I definitely need the confidence.